Voyage of an Air Filter
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We ordered 3 air filters for a Scandinavian air filtering system of very cool design, from WISH. After waiting several weeks, no filter had arrived and I tracked the order. Below is the track, verbatim.
May 13, 2020 — Placed Order
May 14, 2020 — Wishpost order generated — China
May 16, 2020 — Processing Order
May 18, 2020 — Arrived at the first mile [sic] sorting center — China
May 18, 2020 — Departed from the first mile [sic] sorting center — China
May 18, 2020 — Arrived at Carrier — China
May 19, 2020 — Departed from Carrier — China
May 19, 2020 — Arrive [Shenzhen Exchange Bureau] – China
May 19, 2020 — Departed from customs of original country — China
May 19, 2020 — Shenzhen Exchange Bureau Return, Remarks: Security inspection –China
May 20, 2020 — Leave Shenzhen Interchange Bureau, the next stop Shenzhen International Exchange Station — China
May 20, 2020 – Arrive Shenzhen International Exchange Station — China
May 20, 2020 — Arrive at Departure Transit Hub, Country: United States
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Meanwhile it’s July 1. The projected arrival has been changed several times, now July 18.
Still in 2020, I hope.
I think orders like this are now in permanent suspense, in limbo, hovering in a virtual space-time by being kept in endless circulation. Air filters are inspected for air. All traces of Chinese air must be purged before the filters are allowed to enter the pristine zone of America.
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UPDATE on July 23, 2020. It arrived today.
What happened between May 20, when the package went into US jurisdiction, and today? I have a suspicion: the designation of the product as “air filter” coming from China must have rang an alarm bell. The merchandise was probably inspected and re-inspected by the Department of Home Security. Unexplained, if that is the case, is that it arrived at my house at all.
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